Anwyn
Fantasy Express
Novus 2nd Edition
Novus 1st Edition
Each School of Magic has its own list of spells that are available to it. The table below shows the names of the spells available to each School.
In Novus, the casting of a spell can be described as the caster forming a spell matrix and then pumping mana (i.e. Spell Points) through it to empower it. This spell matrix is relatively sturdy, but it can be disrupted. However, the process of disrupting another caster’s spell matrix is never a sure thing. It could result in the other caster failing completely, or just making it so that he does not cast his spell quite so well.
Disrupting the spell matrix of another caster is known as “Casting a Counterspell”. This is actually a 2 step process.
In the first step, the caster of the Counterspell must first make a Magecraft roll (TN 18). If this is successful, he learns how many spell points are involved in the spell that he wishes to counter. This Magecraft roll takes no time at all and is considered to be part of the entire Counterspell process. If the character does not have enough Spell Points to equal those of the spell he wishes to counter, he can always Cancel this action (p. 43 – even if he cancelled another action to cast the Counterspell) and do something else.
If he has enough Spell Points to match those used in his opponent’s spell, he may attempt to cast a Counterspell. This costs him a number of Spell Points equal to the spell he is attempting to counter. This has a Target Number of 18 plus the number of Spell Points used. If the caster succeeds in casting his Counterspell, the amount that his roll over the TN of the Counterspell is subtracted from his opponent’s casting roll.
Example: Neroon the Mage is casting an Infernal Bolt. Regis the Wizard wishes to Counterspell whatever spell Neroon is casting. Regis makes a Magecraft roll (TN 18) and learns that Neroon’s spell is using 3 Spell Points (SP). Regis still has plenty of SP available to use, so he decides to continue with the Counterspell. Regis makes a roll using his Spellcasting skill. His TN for this is 21 (18 Base + 3 SP). Regis has a total roll of 27. This is 6 points higher than the TN 21, so Neroon receives a -6 modifier on his casting roll for the Infernal Bolt.
Just as combat and skill rolls can result in Boons, spell casting can also result in them. Casting Boons may only be applied to spells that are not Vs. DEF. Those spells that are Vs. DEF will use the Combat Boons table. Additionally, not every Boon Result will be able to be applied to every spell, due to the nature of the results and the nature of the spells. The GM is the one who decides in those cases, where it is not obvious, whether a specific Boon Result may be applied or not.
For every 10 points that the player’s roll is over what is required to cast the spell, he earns 1 Casting Boon Point (CBP), which he may then use to apply one or more of the effects from the Casting Boons table (p. 123) to his spell.
In order to cast a spell, the caster must expend a number of Spell Points (p. 19) as indicated in the description of the spell. The player must also succeed at a Spellcasting skill roll, using the Spellcasting skill for the School that the spell comes from. This roll must meet or beat the Casting Target Number (CTN) indicated in the spell’s description. Universal spells are always considered to belong to the caster’s main School of Magic.
Wearing armor does not affect the TN of casting a spell, but it does require that the caster expend more Spell Points or else the spell will automatically fail. Armor has an attribute known as Impedance (p. 35) and this is equal to how many extra Spell Points the caster must expend in casting a spell.
Should the caster be injured while attempting to cast a spell, he must make a Save vs. Will in order to continue concentrating on casting the spell. The TN for this Will Save is 15+ 1 for every 2 points of damage received, rounded up.
If a spell requires that the target make a Save, the base TN for this Save is 14 plus the number of Spell Points required for casting the spell. Each spell will list what stat the Save is against. This may also be adjusted through Casting Boon Points.
Spell Failure
Recovering Spell Points
Once a caster has used his Spell Points in casting a spell, it takes time for him to recover them and be able to use them again. How quickly he recovers them is based on how active he is.
- If the caster is active, moving about and doing things, he will recover 1 Spell Point every 30 minutes.
- If the caster is resting, laying still and not exerting any energy, he will recover 1 Spell Point every 10 minutes.
- If the caster is sleeping or meditating, he will recover 1 Spell Point every 5 minutes.
Meditation
The character makes a Will Save (TN 15) to enter a meditative trance. While in a trance, 2 hours of meditation is treated as 3 hours of sleep. The character receives all benefits, such as healing, from the indicated amount of sleep.
Increasing the TN of the Save by 5 raises the number of hours of sleep that are covered by meditation by 1. The actual TN is set after the roll is made (no Snag/Boon Points for this roll). Treat as sleeping for coming out of trance.
Essential Salts
In addition to the mana that casters normally draw upon in order to cast their spells, there is also something known as Essential Salts. Essential Salts are also sometimes known as Rare Earths. Essential Salts are an elemental substance containing trace amounts of all elements. In appearance, Essential Salts resemble fine grains of sand, and they can be found in small amounts in any terrain.
Essential Salts are, quite likely, the most important alchemical ingredient there is. They are the most common catalyst used in alchemy, allowing alchemists to unlock and activate the innate powers and abilities of other ingredients in their experiments. They may also be used in place of normal mana. Both of these capabilities require the use of the alchemist’s willpower. To use Essential Salts in place of mana (i.e. as Spell Points), the character must make a Save vs. Will (TN 15). It takes 1 dram of Essential Salts to equal 1 Spell Point. Failure means that the Salts are consumed and the caster must use his own Spell Points.
In order to acquire some Essential Salts, a character must spend an hour sifting through soil and dirt. At the end of the hour, the player will make a Magecraft: Alchemy roll (TN 15). If successful, the character will have found 2 drams of Essential Salts (8 drams equals 1 ounce). For every 5 points that the player’s roll is over the TN, the character will find an additional 2 drams, up to a maximum of 10 drams in total. Boon Points may be used to increase the number of drams found on a 1 for 1 basis, and may even allow for more than 10 drams to be found in a search.
Searching for Essential Salts is such a grueling and demanding process that it may only be done up to 3 times a day. Essential Salts are so important to alchemy that characters will never find them for sale by anybody. Nor would a serious alchemist ever trust anybody trying to sell Essential Salts.
Characters are limited in how many drams of Essential Salts they may have in their possession at any given time. The maximum number of drams that they are allowed is equal to double their Magic Stat Value. Thus a character with a Magic Stat Value of 18 may have no more than 36 drams of Essential Salts in his possession at any given time.
To actually learn a spell, the player must purchase it, much like he would a Talent or Combat Move by paying a one time Character Point cost. The Character Point cost of the spell is listed in parenthesis next to the spell’s name.
It is possible for an Adept to learn a spell that is not from their School(s) of Magic and/or not one of the Universal Spells. To do so, he must pay double the Non-Adept Character Point cost of the spell. If the Adept learns a spell from another School of Magic, he must also learn a new Spellcasting skill for the School that the spell comes from. This new Spellcasting skill is unlikely to be a Favored Skill for the character.